Chick-fil-A Joliet Appears Ahead Of Schedule

JOLIET, IL — Was Chick-fil-A really serious about opening a restaurant in Joliet? There has been talk of such a project for almost two years now. For a while, it seemed like the redevelopment plans to put a Chick-fil-A at the site of the empty Lone Star Steakhouse building near the Louis Joliet Mall might not happen.

But seeing is believing. In July, the old Lone Star got bulldozed.

On Friday, Joliet Patch's editor visited the Prairie Construction site and captured several photos showing the progress being made by Prairie's general contractors who were hired to get this restaurant open on schedule.

Joliet's first Chick-fil-A will be next to the Steak-N-Shake on Plainfield Road.

This past summer, city of Joliet officials told Patch that Chick-fil-A officials were hoping to open toward the end of January.

Judging by Friday's construction work, this project appears on schedule, and it would not be surprising if the Chick-fil-A double-drive thru is ready for customer orders in time for Christmas.

But that remains to be seen.

At the site Friday, one of Prairie's building contractors told Joliet Patch that his crews remain busy working on outside lighting as well as the interior finishing for the building.

In any event, it's only a matter of time before area residents who live around Joliet, Plainfield, Shorewood, Minooka and Channahon won't have to drive all the way to Oswego or Bolingbrook to get one of those famous Chick-fil-A chicken sandwiches.

Chick-fil-A is opening in Joliet. And that's for real.